Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face. Few organizations in the world have as much potential influence on the business sector as KPMG does. While our impact may differ from a typical chemicals supplier in that our main environmental footprint comes from our business and our travel, we still recognize the role we play. It is for this reason that we have prioritized the below initiatives that we hope will successfully decrease our environmental footprint.

KPMG’s Global Climate Response

KPMG’s Global Green Initiative is our response to the challenges of climate change and our commitment to make a positive impact on the wider environment. It was launched in 2008 with the aim of significantly reducing KPMG’s environmental impact across KPMG member firms globally.

Since 2010, we’ve reduced net emissions per full-time equivalent (FTE) by 24 percent. Notably, KPMG’s total “gross” greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to decrease even with significant employee and revenue growth. KPMG member firms also continue to recognize the benefits of procuring renewable energy, with 42 percent of our purchased electricity in 2017 coming from renewable sources. The move towards ‘green buildings’ and investments in energy efficiency has resulted in a 17 percent decrease in energy use (kWh) per square meter.

Now in its third phase, KPMG’s Global Climate Response aims to reduce environmental impact across the global network by a further emission reduction target of 10 percent net per full-time equivalent between 2016 and 2020. To meet our climate targets, phase three also includes a global renewable energy target of 60 percent of purchased electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

KPMG Global emissions

In Belgium we have eight office buildings. In 2018 we moved into our new energy efficient offices in Brussels, Antwerp and Hasselt, meeting the needs of a modern business thanks to a reduced ecological footprint.

In addition, accessibility and mobility were very important factors in the selection of our new office locations. By moving to mobility hubs in Brussel, Antwerp and Hasselt, we increased the range of transportation available to our clients, visitors and our employees. The offices are now very easy to reach, not just by car, but also by alternative methods of transportation such as trains or buses. This mobility policy is enhanced by a renewed flex reward tool, through which our employees can select the mobility solution that suits their needs.

Finally, the new offices at Brussels Airport allow us to grow in a sustainable way. Together with our renewed mobility approach, this is a major achievement in our quest for sustainable growth.

Mobility @ KPMG

In 2018, KPMG launched a true mobility solution that allows employees to decide themselves how to use the mobility-related portion of their salary.

We offer a system with day-to-day flexibility that allows people to try out various alternatives. Employees can choose from a broad range of mobility solutions – a car, public transport, or a bike – and they can combine various options. We encourage alternative transportation options, offering 10 Euros per day as an incentive. Those who opt for a smaller vehicle or refrain from using a company car completely can apply the savings to something else, such as an e-bike or extra vacations days.

Our Mobility Progress from 2018 until 2019

  • 53 000 days of alternative usage.
  • 3,9 million km of driving saved.
  • 400 tons of CO2 not emitted because of our employees’ choice to adopt alternatives.

Recycling

We are a big company and, as a result, we want to limit the negative impact we have on the environment as much as possible. With this in mind, we actively recycle all paper, cans, plastic and glass in all our offices. We also replaced all our plastic drinking cups with reusable mugs and water bottles. This action represents a reduction of approximately 100 thousand cups per month and over 1.2 million cups per year.

We further recycle our printer toners and ink cartridges and give our old ICT equipment a new life by donating it to Close the Gap. Close the Gap provides high-quality, refurbished IT equipment for social and educational projects in emerging and developing countries and coordinates the supply chain to ensure the IT projects are implemented successfully.